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Recent Developments and US Policy Choices Order Code IB98034 CRS Issue Brief for Congress Received through the CRS Web Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices Updated May 20, 2005 Kerry B. Dumbaugh Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CONTENTS SUMMARY MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS U.S. Interests in Taiwan Basis for U.S. Defense Commitments to Taiwan Key Current Issues in Taiwan PRC Anti-Secession Law Opposition Party Visits to China National Assembly Elections, May 14, 2005 Political Liberalization End of KMT Dominance — 2000-2001 2004 Election Cycles March 20th Presidential Election and Referendum December 11th Legislative Elections New Political Trends Growing Political Polarization Reassessing “One China” Taiwan-Mainland Relations Cross-Strait Developments in the Chen Administration Private-Sector Exchanges Economic and Trade Issues Taiwan’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Accession SARS, Avian Flu, and WHO Observer Status Policy Trends in the George W. Bush Administration Initial Tilt Toward Taiwan Toward a Taiwan/PRC Balance Problems over Arms Purchases Implications for U.S. Policy LEGISLATION CHRONOLOGY FOR ADDITIONAL READING IB98034 05-20-05 Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices SUMMARY Under the Bush Administration, U.S.- election of March 20, 2004, to incumbent China-Taiwan relations have undergone a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate number of changes. Initially, the new Admin- Chen Shui-bian by a razor-thin margin. Chen istration seemed to abandon the long-standing has been able to seize the political initiative by U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Tai- disavowing the concepts long embraced by his wan in favor of “strategic clarity” that placed KMT opponents: that there is “one China,” more emphasis on Taiwan’s interests and less that Taiwan is a part of it, and that Chinese on PRC concerns. Among other things, Presi- history and culture are Taiwan’s heritage. dent Bush publicly stated that the United Instead, Chen has emphasized a “new Taiwan States would do “whatever it takes” to help identity” and has said publicly that Taiwan Taiwan’s defense — a position more support- already “is an independent, sovereign country” ive of Taiwan than had been articulated by — a “status quo” that he promises to main- previous U.S. presidents. In April 2001, the tain. Legislative elections held on December President also approved a substantial sale of 11, 2004, however, suggest that Taiwan’s U.S. weapons to Taiwan, including Kidd-class electorate appeared to reject the more strident destroyers, anti-submarine P-3 “Orion” air- aspects of the DPP’s election strategy, instead craft, and diesel submarines. The White returning a slim KMT majority to the legisla- House also was more accommodating to visits ture. As in Chen’s first term, it appears that from Taiwan officials than previous U.S. continued opposition control of the legislature Administrations, and permitted visits from could lead to policy gridlock, with the Taiwan’s president in 2001 and 2003, and legislature amending or blocking DPP policy from Taiwan’s vice president and defense initiatives. minister in 2002. Political trends in Taiwan have raised The Administration’s initially assertive anxieties about its future and the implications posture was in keeping with growing congres- for U.S. policy. Some are concerned that a sional sentiment that greater U.S. support was continued emphasis on “Taiwan identity” may needed for Taiwan’s defense needs, particu- lead to ethnic polarization and conflict. larly given the PRC’s military build-up in Others are concerned about the implications southern China. Members undertook a num- that these trends have for a possible ber of bipartisan initiatives to focus more U.S. declaration of Taiwan independence, which attention on Taiwan and raise its international Beijing has vowed to “pay any price” to stature. These included House establishment prevent. In recent months, political of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in 2002, developments in Taiwan appear to be causing and Senate establishment of the Senate Tai- the Bush Administration to dial back its wan Caucus in 2003. earlier enthusiasm for supporting Taiwan. U.S. officials now appear to be balancing But President Bush’s first term has been criticisms of the PRC military buildup a time of increasing complexity and unpredict- opposite Taiwan with periodic cautions and ability in Taiwan’s political environment. warnings to the effect that U.S. support for Since 2000, the long-ruling Nationalist Party Taiwan is not unconditional, but has limits. (KMT) has been handed a series of stunning This issue brief tracking the situation in Tai- defeats, most recently losing the presidential wan will be updated as events warrant. Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress IB98034 05-20-05 MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS May 16, 2005 — At the annual meeting for the World Health Organization, 33 countries objected to putting the issue of Taiwan’s observer status in WHO on the agenda. Fiji and Papua New Guinea, who do not have relations with Taiwan, spoke in its favor. May 14, 2005 — The DPP won the largest block of seats in elections for Taiwan’s 300- member National Assembly, charged with considering proposed constitutional amendments. May 5, 2005 — PFP opposition party Chairman James Soong departed for a week-long visit to China. April 26, 2005 — KMT opposition party Chairman Lien Chan left for an eight-day “peace journey” to China. It was the first time the leaders of the CCP and KMT met since World War II. March 14, 2005 — China’s NPC enacted an anti-secession law aimed at reining in Taiwan’s independence advocates. U.S. officials called the law “unhelpful.” BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS U.S. Interests in Taiwan U.S. involvement with the government of Taiwan (known as the Republic of China or ROC) has its roots in the World War II U.S. alliance with the Nationalist Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek on mainland China. But while the allied victory over Japan and Germany meant the end of conflict for much of the world, it did not mean the end of conflict in China. For the Chinese government, it meant the resumption of a civil war against rebelling Chinese communist forces led by Mao Zedong. By October 1949, Mao’s forces had pushed the Nationalist Army off the mainland, and the remnants of Chiang’s government fled to Taiwan, an island off the south China coast. While on the mainland, the Chinese Communist Party declared victory and established the People’s Republic of China (PRC); Chiang’s ROC government on Taiwan insisted that the communist government in Beijing was not credible, that the ROC government was the only legitimate government of all China, and that ROC forces would regroup on Taiwan and one day retake the mainland. For the next 30 years, the United States supported this claim with U.S. military protection and over $5 billion in military and economic aid, allowing Chiang’s one-party government (the Nationalist Party, or KMT) to consolidate its position on Taiwan. In the 1950s and 1960s, U.S. forces used Taiwan as a forward base against Sino-Soviet communism in Asia. But after President Nixon’s opening to Beijing in 1971-72, and the major pullback of U.S. forces in Asia under the guidelines of the “Nixon doctrine,” U.S. officials came to view Beijing more as a strategic asset against the Soviet Union than an adversary to be confronted in the Taiwan Strait. On January 1, 1979, the United States switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. In the U.S.-PRC joint CRS-1 IB98034 05-20-05 communiqué announcing the change, the United States recognized the government of the PRC as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China, and Taiwan is part of China. (See CRS Report 96-246, Taiwan: Texts of the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. - China Communiques, and the ‘Six Assurances.’) As part of de-recognition, the United States also notified Taiwan authorities that effective January 1, 1980, it would terminate the 1954 U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty. This move prompted extensive congressional debate at the time over the President’s authority to unilaterally dissolve a defense treaty without prior consultation with Congress. In a statement released December 16, 1978, the United States declared that it “continues to have an interest in the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and expects that the Taiwan issue will be settled peacefully by the Chinese themselves.” Subsequently, the United States affirmed its security and other interests in Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the continued supply of U.S. arms to Taiwan. The TRA (enacted as P.L. 96-8 in April 1979), which still governs U.S. relations with Taiwan, was essentially a congressional construct, enacted by a Congress unhappy with the Carter Administration’s failure to develop more detailed plans for how U.S. relations were to be conducted with Taiwan after official relations were severed. With the thaw in the Cold War in the late 1980s and subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. interest in the PRC as a “strategic asset” in global politics declined. The PRC’s burgeoning economy and sometimes assertive foreign policy in the 1990s revived U.S. interest in finding pragmatic and effective ways to deal with rising Chinese power. At the same time, Taiwan’s political system had undergone dramatic changes, including a transition to democratic political pluralism. The combination of these developments led to subtle changes in U.S.-Taiwan ties, including deepening economic, military, social, and other contacts. Today, the United States is an important investor and trading partner for Taiwan, with U.S.
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